America, now is the time.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/opinion/martin-gun-control/index.html

This article is titled "Now is the time to talk gun control, mental illness," and as I'm sure you've guessed, is in response to the Connecticut elementary school shooting that occurred on Friday morning. Roland Martin, the author, voices his opinion on gun control throughout the article.

Syntax: Martin uses syntax from the very beginning of his article, and he uses it well. The article starts with a one-word paragraph, "Enough!" This grabs the reader's attention as well as lets the reader know the author is serious. Then, in the following paragraph, Martin uses repetition and parallel structure as he starts each sentence with "Enough," followed by a strong statement about either guns or mental illness to keep the reader focused on what he wants him/her to know. The repetition of "Enough! Enough! Enough!" has the same effect. Martin also uses rhetorical questions such as "So, please, exactly when is the time?" to enforce his opinion that gun control needs to be discussed now.

Language: Martin uses a few very strong examples of figurative language. When discussing America's fascination with guns, he compares it to "heroine shooting through the arms of an addict." No one wants to be a heroine addict, so this comparison does one of two things: the reader either denies what Martin is saying, thinking the comparison is crazy, or he realizes how "addicted" to guns America is. Towards the end of his article, Martin uses the phrase "sure as hell" to emphasize his complete aversion to having to be a first responder on the scene of a mass shooting.

Diction: Diction plays a big role in this article. From the very first paragraph, Martin chose his words to be strong enough to get through to the reader. He describes elected officials as "cowardly" and NRA supporters as "ardent," which enforces the feeling in the reader that these issues need to be discussed now. Martin uses "hailed" versus "vilified" to show his support for Bob Costas' comment during a football game. He uses words like "fiercely" and "flagrantly" to describe how people defend the second amendment, making it seem like a bad thing to do. He says we've "shirked" our responsibility, instead of just avoided, giving the reader the feeling he's done something personally wrong. Martin says the parents of those Connecticut kids are "eschewing" their Christmas plans to emphasize the horrible timing of this tragedy. And to end his article, Martin says we need the "courage" and "conviction" to step up and talk about gun control and mental illness, making the reader WANT to do those things so he'll be courageous and have conviction.

I knew you'd be back, Young Man

1984. Select a line or so of poetry, or a moment or scene in a novel, epic poem, or play that you find especially memorable. Write an essay in which you identify the line or the passage, explain its relationship to the work in which it is found, and analyze the reasons for its effectiveness.

Edward Albee’s play The American Dream is his criticism of the American “dream” that came to popularity in the 50s and 60s. Albee uses Grandma and the Young Man to showcase the differences in the old American dream of hard work and real values and the new American dream of having money and artificial values. One line from the Young Man provides the most obvious statement of these differences: “I'll do almost anything for money" (109).

At this point in the play, Grandma and the Young Man are talking about what kind of work the Young Man is looking for. Up to this point, the audience has only seen glimpses of Albee’s criticism of the new American dream through Mommy and Daddy’s commodification of everything in their life. Neither of them has outright said they are looking to be wealthy, but comments about “satisfaction” and Mommy only marrying Daddy for his money have left the audience with the sense that they are money-seeking, corrupt people. When they adopt the Young Man, after he says this line, and appear to finally be satisfied, it is clear to the audience that money is the driving force in Mommy and Daddy’s lives.

The Young Man’s line was effective when Albee first wrote the play, and in the years since then, the line has only become more effective. The Young Man as a character is devoid of feeling and as a result is sometimes difficult to relate to, and this line only enforces that at first. The idea of doing anything for money is preposterous to most audiences. When it becomes clear that this line was Albee’s big strike against the American dream and way of life, the audience’s first reaction is to take offence. The line takes an accusatory tone, suggesting the American people will do anything for money. Because of this, the audience is more likely to remember the line and how it made them feel.

Dear Miller, I still think Willy is crazy.

Author:
Arthur Miller

Setting:
Brooklyn, New York; late 40s (20s-30s for flashbacks)

Plot:
Act I-
The play start with Willy coming home late one night while he should be in Boston on a sales trip. Linda tries to convince Willy to talk his boss (Howard) into letting him work in New York so he doesn't have to travel, and Willy agrees to talk to Howard the next day. Willy then goes to the kitchen to get a snack, where he slowly loses himself in a daydream/flashback. While this is happening, Biff and Happy are talking about their teenage years and their father's recent habit of talking to himself, usually about how Biff has disappointed him. The daydream takes place in the backyard, some 20 years earlier. Willy has just returned from a sales trip and tells his sons that he'll open his own, very successful business someday. Bernard then comes in looking for Biff, telling him he needs to study math or he won't pass and therefore won't graduate. It's mentioned that Bernard and his father, Charley, are liked, but not well-liked. A younger Linda then comes in and Willy tells her his trip was extremely successful, but Linda gets him to admit that it was actually only barely a success. Willy begins to tell Linda that it's because people don't like him. As Linda consoles Willy, he hears the laughter of his mistress, and a daydream within the daydream starts. His mistress laughs some more, thanks him for stockings, and disappears. Willy returns to the first daydream where he sees Linda mending stockings and yells at her, telling her to throw them away. Bernard then bursts in, still looking for Biff. Linda brings up the fact that Biff needs to return a football he stole and that he's too rough with girls. Willy hears his mistress again and yells at Linda and Bernard. His daydream then ends, but he continues to mumble to himself. Happy, in the present day, comes downstairs and tries to get Willy to go to bed. Instead, Willy yells about how he should have gone to Alaska with his brother, Ben. Charley then comes over, having heard the yelling, and plays cards with Willy. Charley and Willy argue because Willy refuses to take the job offer Charley gives him, and Willy begins another daydream that involves Ben. He talks to Ben about going to Alaska, which confuses Charley, who asks Willy what he's talking about. Willy then yells at Charley and he leaves. Willy continues talking to Ben about his life, and the younger Linda comes in to meet him. Charley and Bernard run it to tell them that Biff stole lumber and is being chased by the police. Ben then leaves, but Willy continues talking to him. Back in the present, Linda enters to find Willy outside, and Biff joins her. Linda scolds Biff for being so harsh with Willy, and then tells him and Happy that Willy has attempted suicide. Happy gets upset with Biff, then Willy comes back and yells at Biff also. Happy eventually cuts in and talks to Biff about going into sporting goods together and making their own business. This makes Willy happy and he gives them tips on seeing Bill Oliver, who Biff used to work for. There's a little more arguing and then everyone goes to bed.

Act II-
Willy comes into the kitchen and has breakfast, which Linda has made for him. He seems excited and hopeful, but then gets upset when Linda tells him about the payment on the fridge. Linda then tells him that the boys were dressed well and left early to see Oliver, and that they're taking him to dinner that night. Willy perks up again and goes to ask Howard for a job in New York. As he leaves, Biff calls and Linda reminds him to be nice to his dad at dinner. The scene then changes to Howard's office, where Howard is playing with a new wire recorder. Willy tries to ask about a job, but Howard makes him listen to his kids and wife on the recorder. Finally, Willy makes his proposition and Howard promptly denies it. Willy argues back, bringing up an old salesman who got Willy interested in the business in the first place. Howard just tells Willy to calm down then leaves. Willy gets more upset, so Howard comes back in and tells Willy to take time off (fires him). As Howard leaves again, Willy has another daydream/flashback, and Ben enters. He talks to Willy more about going to Alaska, but Linda reminds him of his job and his kids. Willy turns Ben down and then praises Biff for being well-liked. As Ben leaves, Bernard enters, excited to go to Biff's big football game. Charley comes in and teases Willy about the game, and the scene changes once again. Willy is now in Charley's present day office. Bernard quiets Willy's yelling and mentions that he's going to Washington to fight a case (he's a lawyer now). Willy asks Bernard why Biff never succeeded and in response, Bernard asks Willy what happened when Biff went to visit him in Boston after finding out he'd flunked math. Willy gets defensive, telling Bernard not to blame him. Charley then comes in and says goodbye to Bernard. Willy then asks for money, but more than he usually does. Charley again offers him a job, and Willy again refuses. Charley scolds Willy's need to be liked, but still gives him the money. Willy seems beaten, and exits the office on the verge of tears, telling Charley he's his only friend. At the restaurant they're meeting at for dinner, Happy helps set a table and meets a call girl. He flirts with her then asks her to call another call girl. While she's gone, Biff enters. He tells Happy about his experience waiting for Oliver all day, only to find out he didn't even recognize him. Biff talks about how Willy had him believing he was a salesman for Oliver when he had actually only been a stock boy. Biff decides to let Willy down easy when he tells him of his failure. Willy gets upset when Biff does this and blurts out that he was fired. Biff tries again to let Willy down easy, but Happy cuts in with comments that sound like Biff succeeded. Willy perks up at this. Biff then yells at Willy for not listening. Biff starts to explain what happened as another flashback/daydream begins. A young Bernard runs in, yelling to Linda that Biff failed math and won't graduate. They realize he's gone to Boston to see Willy. Back in the present, Biff finishes his story and Willy criticizes him for failing math. Trying to quiet Willy, Biff tells him that Oliver is talking to his partner about giving Biff the money. Willy has a renewed interest in the tale now, which upsets Biff and he yells at Willy again, and Willy shouts back. The call girls return as Biff helps Willy get to the restroom. When he sees Happy flirting with the girls, Biff argues with him about Willy, then storms out of the restaurant. Happy and the girls follow, leaving Willy alone in the restroom. A new flashback/daydream then begins with Willy and his mistress flirting and redressing themselves. When there's a knock on the hotel room door, Willy pushes his mistress into the bathroom and answers the door. The young Biff is standing there. He tells Willy that he failed math and they discuss going back to Brooklyn immediately to talk to his teacher. When Biff imitates his teacher, Willy and his mistress laugh. Hearing this, Biff confronts Willy. When he realizes his father's infidelity, Biff calls Willy and fake and leaves. Back in the present, a waiter helps Willy off of the restroom floor and gives him directions to a seed store. The scene then changes to the Loman kitchen, with Biff and Happy coming home. They're surprised to see Linda awake and she scolds them for leaving their father in the restaurant the way they did. As she yells at them, Biff looks for Willy and finds him attempting to plant the garden by flashlight. Willy is again daydreaming. He's talking to Ben about an unknown $20,000 proposition. Ben tells him to be careful because "they" might not hold up their end of the deal, and Biff will think he's a coward. Biff approaches Willy and they both end up in the kitchen, yelling at each other. Happy tries to intervene, but Biff won't let him. Biff brings out the piece of pipe that Willy had used to attempt suicide and then breaks down, crying in Willy's arms and begging him to let him go. Touched, Willy stops fighting. Everyone goes to bed, but Willy says he need a couple minutes. He again talks to Ben. Willy tells Ben that Biff will be great with the $20,000, then agrees to leave with him. Linda calls out Willy's name but he doesn't respond. She continues calling as Willy leaves the house and his car starts. Linda and the boys shout as the sound of Willy's car speeding away and crashing are heard.

Requiem-
Standing at Willy's grave, Linda and Happy are shocked at how poorly attended the funeral was. Biff tells them Willy had the wrong dreams, and Charley defends Willy by saying he was just a victim of being a salesman. Linda lingers at the grave and asks for forgiveness for not being able to cry. She tells Willy that she paid the last house payment that, and repeats "We're free..." as the play ends.

Significant Characters:
Willy- Willy is the main character of the play. The play follows him and his thoughts/daydreams/flashbacks. He's 60 years old and has been a salesman his entire working life. His idea of success is popularity; not just being liked, but well-liked. This is why he's so disappointed in Biff: Biff doesn't have a real job and isn't famous or popular. His affair is another strain on his relationship with Biff.

Biff- Biff is 34 years old, and has just come home after three months of being in prison for stealing a suit. The star football player in his high school days, Biff has yet to accomplish anything of real importance, including getting a real job. Although Willy sees Biff a total failure, Biff sees himself as trapped in Willy's dream for him. Biff is the only character who's honest with himself about who he really is and the kind of failure he's had in life.

Happy- Happy is pretty much a mini-Willy. Even after seeing Willy's demise, Happy is determined to stay in New York to make sure Willy's death wasn't in vain. Happy is the least able to see himself clearly, completely absorbed in the false, materialistic American Dream that Willy has portrayed his entire life. He constantly says he's better than he really is by saying he's an assistant buyer when he's really the assistant's assistant.

Linda- Linda is Willy's wife and, as I see it, a codependent. Linda is the most level-headed character in that she doesn't have the skewed view of the American Dream that her family has, but she, in a way, feeds Willy's view. Instead of telling Willy to be honest with himself, she's passive and lets him continue in the way he's been going. With the gas tubing, for example. Instead of confronting him, she leaves it for him.

Ben- Ben is Willy's brother and father figure/role model. Ben embodies Willy's idea of success, as he found a diamond mine in Africa and was instantly rich. Willy constantly regrets not joining Ben on his exhibition, and in the end, Ben (or his imagined flashback self) is who Willy talks to about committing suicide.

Charley- Charley serves as a foil to Willy. Instead of worrying about being liked, Charley works hard and owns his own business, eventually giving him the success (monetarily) that Willy so longs for. Charley is kind of like an older brother to Willy in that he looks out for him and takes care of him even though he doesn't necessarily like him.

Style:
The play follows Willy, but doesn't necessarily use his point of view. Miller's tone, ranging from naive and happy-go-lucky to depressed and anxious, helps show the decline in Willy's life as the former is used more in the flashbacks, the later in the present. Miller uses a lot of symbolism in DoS, though. For example, Ben and his diamond mine symbolize tangible success, which Willy could never attain. Stocking also play a prominent role in play, as they symbolize betrayal and infidelity. Miller also uses quite a few motif to help the reader understand the play, such as a failed Christ figure (Biff, since he's 34 and just spent THREE months in PRISON), directions (north, south, east, west) and what they symbolize (freedom, industrialization, self-discovery, etc), contradictions (mostly Willy), and male dominance.

Quotes:
"'There's one or two other things depressing him, Happy.'
  'What do you mean?'
  'Never mind. Just don't lay it all on me'" (14).
~ This quote comes up multiple times, with slight variations. I think it's just one of the examples of Biff seeing Willy as he is. Granted, he has a good reason to see it better than Happy. Still, it shows Biff's ability to see things clearly.

"He's liked, but he's not... well liked" (21).
~ Ladies and gentlemen, we have found the problem! This quotes pretty much sums up why Willy never succeeded the way he wanted to. Willy's main (if not only) focus was on being well liked, and his failure in that caused his other failures and influenced the way he saw himself and his sons.

"And I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody!" (96)
~ This, again, showcases Biff's ability to see the truth. He acknowledges that he's never been able to take orders from anyone because Willy brought him up to think that being on top is the only way to be. Willy's reaction that it's actually because Biff failed math helps prove this point, as Biff failed math because Willy had him believing his position on the football team and the scholarships he had lined up would get him to where he needed to be.

Theme:
Hard work will get you farther in life than being well liked.
~ There are so many examples of this in DoS. There's obviously Willy, who spent his whole life convincing himself that being well liked was the key to success and in the end, committed suicide because his life had turned out to be a failure. In contrast, there's Charley, who Willy specifically says isn't well liked, but he's the one who ends up giving Willy the money he needs, clearly more successful. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Biff was raised to think popularity was everything, where Bernard was raised to do the work he needs to do. In the end, Biff has never had a solid job and just got out of prison, while Bernard is an extremely successful lawyer.

Macbeth, I mean Hamlet...

First off, I just have to say: YES. No more DoS. Don't get me wrong, I know it has some pretty thought-provoking meaning behind it, but I am so glad we've moved on.

I think the part of class that I got the most out of was actually that "finish this essay" activity we did when we had a sub. I actually hadn't thought of the fact that Biff and Bernard were foils (no comments on my slow-ness), so it was actually helpful. And from that, I looked at Willy and Charley as foils, which was more meaningful for me than the Biff/Bernard one. I also liked the motif discussion we had (which may have gone with the last course materials blog, but I didn't talk about it then so I will now). Those kinds of discussions always help me with my annotations, which is greatly appreciated. After all the discussions and the movie watching, I'm proud to say I finally get the meaning behind the play. We talked about DoS in American Lit and, not gonna lie, I got nothing out of it.

On to Hamlet. Yay, Shakespeare, right? Honestly, all I can think while we read Hamlet is "LION KING." Maybe I'm immature, but that movie is fantastic. I do like actually reading it though, because there are a lot of things Lion King doesn't have in it. And usually, I hate when teachers interrupt the reading all the time to tell us what just happened, but I actually find it super helpful with this one. Not because Hamlet is just too confusing, but because Ms. Holmes retells it in an interesting way, so I actually pay attention and piece together the plot. I'm actually looking forward to further discussion of this (aside from the fact that my copy doesn't have line numbers... stupid Amazon).

I don't think we've done much else in class... so I guess this is the end. Bye!

Oh! A note on the title of this post: My friend and I keep calling Hamlet "Macbeth"... oops. I blame Brit Lit.

Affirmative action isn't so... affirmative.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/15/justice/michigan-affirmative-action-ban/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

This article is called "Appeals court strikes down Michigan's affirmative action ban" and, fairly self explanatory, is about our ban on affirmative action being ruling unconstitutional by an appeals court.

Details: The details the author provides appear to create a bias towards the ban, rather than the court's decision. There are more quotes and examples from the side of the ban, and the reader is left hoping the Supreme Court will take the case and rule for the ban. For example, the author includes a quote from Attorney General Schuette, saying "(The ban) embodies the fundamental the premise of what America is all about: equality under the law. Entrance to our great universities must be based upon merit." This quote, along with the fact that it's from the Attorney General, makes the reader feel justified in thinking affirmative action makes equality more difficult, not less. The author also includes details such as the ban passing with "58% voting yes." As humans, most of us want to "fit in" and go with the majority, so including statistics like this one help the reader lean toward supporting the ban.

Diction: The word choice of this piece also shows a bias toward the ban. The author describes how the court "narrowly" overturned the ban, suggesting disappointment with the decision. Later in the article, the author discusses the idea that affirmative action has to be "phased" out as diversity goals are met. This word suggests not an automatic ban throughout the country, but starting to head in that direction, which the ban does.

Syntax: This article is broken up into short, two-to-three line paragraphs. This organization helps keep the reader interested by making the points concise and moving on. Most of these paragraphs are made up of a short sentence followed by a longer one. This puts emphasis on the second, longer sentence, which is where most of the meatier information is. For example, "Efforts over decades to create a diverse classroom have been controversial. The Brown v. Board of Education high court ruling in 1954 ended segregation of public schools, but sparked nationwide protests and disobedience by state who initially refused to integrate." The first sentences introduces the topic and the second sentence provides the evidence, which is what the reader remembers from the paragraph because it's the last thing he reads.

Silly Macbeth, prophesies are for witches!

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

            In the play Macbeth, Macbeth’s downfall is his desire for power. At the beginning of the play, he is a war hero, highly esteemed by the Scottish king, when he encounters three witches. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane of Cawdor and eventually the king of Scotland. As Macbeth starts to see these prophesies come true, his desire to have power conflicts with his duties as thane and as king.

            After winning a war for Scotland, Macbeth finds out King Duncan has named him thane of Cawdor. As thane, he constantly thinks about the prophesy three witches told him: he will be king of Scotland. When King Duncan comes to his house that night, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conspire to kill the king in order to obtain kingship for themselves. As king, Macbeth spends a majority of his time worrying about his old friend, Banquo, and his son, Fleance. Along with the witches’ prophesy that Macbeth would be king came the prophesy that Banquo would father a line of kings. Because of this, Macbeth has Banquo murdered and tries to kill Fleance. The more Macbeth feels his power is in danger, the more he tries to prevent it from being taken from him, even killing an innocent man’s family out of fear.

            Macbeth’s need for power and the murders he commits because of it leave him insane, and eventually lead to his death. After Banquo is killed, his ghost appears to Macbeth, along with three other apparitions. Seeing these ghosts, Macbeth raves and appears to his guests to be talking to himself. As his castle is under attack, and Macbeth realizes his end, he still fights, unable to give up his power willingly.

            Macbeth’s struggle between his desire for power and his responsibilities as king provides for most of the action in the play. Had he been able to stand up to his wife and not kill King Duncan, Macbeth never would have had any issues, and Macbeth never would have been written. His inability to mediate between private passion and responsibility not only provides for his inevitable downfall, but also the meaning of the play as a whole: power left unchecked ultimately results in destruction.

What do you mean Willy isn't mentally ill?

I'm pleased to say that I understand "Death of a Salesman" better than I understood "The American Dream." That might have something to do with the fact that I studied it (kinda) in Am Lit sophomore year, though. I'm still undecided on what I think is wrong with Willy, since we've been told that he isn't supposed to be mentally ill. Clearly, something is wrong. It's not exactly normal to have flashbacks so elaborate you actually relive them. But if Arthur Miller says Willy doesn't have an illness, I guess I'll just have to believe him. Watching the film really helped me understand the characters, though. Seeing Biff's need to please Willy and Willy's need to be successful, instead of just reading about them, helped me relate to them. Sometimes, I just want my parents to notice me too, Biff. I'm actually semi-excited to discuss this play in class and see what other people think is "wrong" with Willy.
One huge thing this class as a whole, but especially these last few weeks, has taught me is not to procrastinate. Which is potentially the most challenging aspect of this class for me. I can analyze literature. I can write essays. I can memorize stuff. But doing any of that in a decent amount of time? Yeah, no. I suck at that. The main place I ran into this issue was with the chapter 4 essay. The day before it was due, all I had written was the intro paragraph. So I spent my Sunday night writing two more pages, then forgetting a works cited page. It was great. I guess it's better that I'm learning this now, and not my first semester of college. So thanks, AP Lit (and Ms. Holmes), I'm sure I'll eventually learn my lesson.
And of course, there's the terms test. 65%, anyone? But hey, that's a 20% increase on my first score! The main thing I learned from the terms test (other than however many definitions are on there) is that I'm going to need to spend some time looking at how questions are worded to give me a hint at the correct definition. For those of you who don't know which question I'm referring to, it's the Coach Carr one. Who knew the omission of one word could lead to losing 2 points? If that's how I'm going to get a 5 on the AP test, I really need to get working.

Albee had a dream, too.

Author:
Edward Albee; semi-absurdist, but the play actually goes somewhere. One of his first popular plays.

Setting:
Minimal, which undermines the stability of the comfortable American family. Mommy and Daddy's living room, two arm chairs and a sofa. No time is given in the setting, but the play was written in the late 1950s, early 1960s.

Plot:
Mommy and Daddy are waiting in their living room a mysterious visitor, who is apparently late. Mommy recaps her hat-buying adventures from the previous, explaining how she had finally gotten satisfaction out of the experience. While they're waiting, Grandma comes into the room carrying as many boxes as she can. Mommy and Daddy notice how nicely the boxes are wrapped, but Grandma won't tell them what's in any of the boxes. Grandma accuses Mommy of being a tramp, always planning on marrying for money. At this point, the visitor, Mrs.Barker, arrives. No one knows why she is there, other than the fact that Mommy and Daddy called her. There are multiple power struggles between Grandma, Mommy, and Mrs.Barker, comprising most of the play. Mommy sends Daddy to break Mommy's TV and then goes to get Mrs.Barker a drink, leaving Mrs.Barker and Grandma alone. Grandma gives Mrs.Barker a hint as to why she's there, telling her a story about a couple "very much like" Mommy and Daddy adopting a child, but being dissatisfied with it. They torture and end up killing the child, and have now called Mrs.Barker because they want satisfaction in the form of a new child. The doorbell then rings and in waltzes the Young Man. He talks to Grandma about his twin who he was separated from and doesn't know what happened to him. Grandma mentions he looks remarkably like Mommy and Daddy's other child. Grandma gets an idea and tells Mrs.Barker to pretend she brought the Young Man for Mommy and Daddy. Grandma then leaves with her boxes, and the rest of the family (plus Mrs.Barker) drink some bad wine in celebration of the "satisfaction" of adopting the Young Man.

Characters (because they're all significant):
Mommy- Mommy is very controlling, but childish. She does just about anything, including throwing a fit and killing a child, to get satisfaction. Mommy is also portrayed as the masculine one in her relationship with Daddy. She is constantly in a power struggle, whether it's with Grandma or Mrs.Barker. Mommy is very materialistic and commodifies satisfaction, and pretty much everything else in life.
Daddy- Daddy is essentially a woman. He Mommy's inferior, contradicting the societal norms of the time. Daddy doesn't seem to be able to think for himself, mostly just repeating what Mommy says. The few times he does differ from Mommy is when he's sticking up for Grandma. He also agrees with Mommy in that it's nearly impossible to get satisfaction these days.
Grandma- Grandma represents the "old" American dream. She's the least materialistic character in the play and usually provides the logical side of things. Grandma has more morals and a better sense of reality than the other characters of the play.
Mrs.Barker- Mrs.Barker is constantly referred to in the plural, which lead me to see her as a representation of the media promoting the American dream.
Young Man- The Young Man is the most materialistic of the characters, saying he'll do anything for money. He's handsome, strong, and incapable of feeling. He represents the new American dream, coming in as Grandma goes out.

Style:
As mentioned earlier, Albee uses an absurdist point of view in writing The American Dream. Although the play is not completely absurdist because it does progress (thought quite confusingly...), it has absurdist elements such as repetition, civilized people acting in uncivilized ways, lack of cause and effect, and the breakdown of communication. Albee's tone contributes greatly to the humor of the play. By using a light, fun tone while talking about murdering a child or sexual acts, Albee essentially forces the audience to laugh. The uncomfortable, private, and serious are made public and reduced to having little to no importance, and this contradiction causes laughter. The most prominent example of imagery is when Grandma tells Mrs.Barker about Mommy and Daddy killing their first child, though even then, there aren't too many gory details that really put a good picture in the reader's head. The major element of symbolism in The American Dream comes in the forms of Grandma and the Young Man. Grandma symbolizes the old American dream, with traditional values. The Young Man symbolizes the new American dream, materialistic and emotionless.

Quotes:
"WHAT a masculine Daddy! Isn't he a masculine Daddy?" (74)
   ~This quote shows Mommy's control over Daddy. She gave him his masculinity and a few lines later, she takes it away when she calls him a woman. It also makes me think of someone talking to a dog, which further proves her control.

"A bumble; a bumble of joy" (97).
  ~ This is just the beginning of dehumanizing of the baby Mommy and Daddy killed.  The baby didn't give them the satisfaction they wanted, so Mommy and Daddy mutilated him. By calling him an "it" and "bumble", the child is dehumanized and makes the act seem a tiny bit less repulsive.

"I'll do almost anything for money" (109).
   ~The Young Man says this when Grandma asks him what kind of work he's looking for. This really captures the new American dream and its materialism and lack of emotion.

Theme: The American dream is corrupt.
   ~ Albee's title, The American Dream, is a clear indication that the play will represent his ideas on the American dream. With Grandma (the old American dream) leaving as the Young Man (the new American dream) comes in, Albee is showing a replacement of artificial values for real values. The Young Man values money and only money, whereas Grandma valued hard work and family. As stated earlier, the minimal setting undermines the stability of a comfortable American family. The imagery of the mutilation of the first child also shows the intense mutilation of real values in order to get "satisfaction". The light tone Albee uses also supports this theme by making it fairly obvious he was trying to satirize the artificial values people had adopted, such as the color of a hat.

15 Hawaiian Minutes

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/21/opinion/change-the-list-voter-turnout-hawaii/index.html

The article I chose is titled "Hawaii: The state that doesn't vote." As I'm sure you've guessed, it's about Hawaii having the lowest voter turn out and why. It's insanely long, but the author definitely creates a feeling of understanding of, and even agreement with, why Hawaiians are unlikely to vote.

Diction:
Toward the beginning of the article, Sutter uses words like "apathetic" and "bum" to create (or reinforce) the image of the lazy, happy-go-lucky Hawaiian surfer. He attributes the lack of voting to theses qualities in the people, then goes on to tell how he was wrong. Later, when describing the voter turn out of the leeward side of Oahu, he uses the word "desert", which is generally associated with bad. The lack of water translated to the lack of voters, and the extreme heat translated to the extreme dissatisfaction he talked about earlier in the article. At the end of the article, Sutter's description of the non-voters in Hawaii does a 180. Instead of being apathetic bums, he says the voters were "cared" when it came to political issues. A fairly weak word by itself, cared becomes strong and pointed when it's contrasted with apathetic.

Syntax:
Sutter uses a lot of rhetorical questions in this article. One entire paragraph is made up of questions he obviously doesn't expect the reader to answer. He asks, "That's a lot of pressure, right? On the trip, I definitely felt it. Throughout the journey -- and, let's be honest, pretty much life -- I was plagued with doubt: Is our money-hungry, attack-heavy, non-responsive democracy too far gone? Is apathy too entrenched? What if the choice of candidates isn't good enough? Does one cote out of millions actually matter? And isn't surfing more fun than voting, anyway?" Obviously, surfing is more fun than voting. By using this technique, Sutter makes the article more interesting and humorous, which is good considering its length. He also uses short sentences, set off as their own paragraph, for emphasis. For example, "I wasn't sure how I would react" and "She was outrages" easily could have been tagged onto the end of their preceding paragraphs. But by making them their own paragraphs, Sutter makes the reader think about how they would react or feel.

Imagery:
Let's be honest here, not a lot of extremely vivid images are needed to create the desired images of Hawaii. And Sutter clearly understood that. He doesn't go to a lot of trouble to create images of the islands, but it's still possible to see exactly what he wants the reader to see. In fact, he actually completely relies on what you have in your mind when he says, "The Maui where Elle Cochran grew up is exactly like the one you picture in your mind, especially if, like me before this trip, you've seen 'Lilo and Stitch' but never been to Hawaii." And that's all it takes for the reader to picture the sand, the waves, and the sunshine he was them to see. He describes his trip, simply, as a "romp through paradise", which captures the image of Hawaii and the lifestyle there perfectly, without needing to use strong imagery.

This one time, in 1984

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

In his novel 1984, George Orwell creates a society referred to as a dystopia: the opposite of a utopian society. The Party is always watching, always right, and completely in control. Winston Smith, the main character of the novel, has generally accepted these truths until the point in his life where the novel begins. As the novel progresses, Winston goes from an upstanding member of society to a recurring rule breaker and back again.

To prevent a revolution, the Party monitors the thoughts of the citizens. Thinking about breaking the rules is breaking the rules. In fact, thinking badly about the Party or Big Brother is considered the worst crime one can commit. At the beginning of the novel, Winston has decided to write a diary, even though the act could get him killed. He finds ways to be out of view of monitors and hides his diary in case the Party searches his apartment. Winston hates the Party and the rules they set forth and defies the standards of the society he lives in by recording these thoughts in a diary.

As part of their reign, the Party outlaws sex for any purpose other than creating children. The Party chooses who each person will marry to ensure there is no physical attraction between them that could lead to breaking this rule. Winston, however, finds himself more and more frustrated with the Party and its rules. After receiving a note from a girl at work, Julia, that had the word “I love you” written on it, Winston begins an affair. Constantly finding new places to meet so the Party won’t catch them, Winston and Julia form a relationship based on the physical attraction and love the Party tries so hard to prevent. Although both are members of the Outer Party, Winston and Julia go against the societal norms to be together.

As his big act of rebellion, Winston attempts to join the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a group no one seems to know much about, other than they work to overthrow the Party and Big Brother. The Party emphasizes that the leader of the Brotherhood is the most dangerous man alive, and as a general rule, society believes this. The standard in the society is to fear the Brotherhood and distrust anyone who seems affiliated with them. However, Winston thinks the Party is lying. He does not believe the Brotherhood is dangerous, and even seeks out O’Brien, whom he believes to be a member of this mysterious organization.

Throughout 1984, George Orwell paints a picture of the many different ways Winston Smith defies societal standards and goes his own way. Whether it is having a forbidden relationship, recording his criminal thoughts, or attempting to join the Brotherhood, it is clear that Winston has had enough of the standards his dystopian society holds.

Wait... tell me one more time. What's the American dream?

I think the best way for me to do this is probably chronologically. So I'm going to start with literary movements. I've taken American Lit and Brit Lit, and a lot of this was review for me. But I definitely never learned about  The Analogy of the Cave or Aristotle, so that was a great addition to my literary knowledge. Although it means one more thing to remember, it's one more tool to use when analyzing a piece of literature. And I'm could use as many options as possible to help me analyze the pieces that are going to be on the AP test. As for the critical lenses, the one that was the most new to me was the Post-colonial lens. It makes sense to have a new lens when something huge (like having or being a colony) changes. I definitely need to work on those definitions, though.
Next, The American Dream. I have only one question: what? I have yet to start my individual close reading of the play, and I'm sure that will help me understand, but right now, I'm completely lost. Which character is supposed to portray the American dream? How does the author define the American dream? And why on Earth can they not find Grandma's room? The article by Ervin Beck did help a little bit, but I still have some work to do before I actually understand the piece. I'm probably going to have to reread some of the articles about theater of the absurd and comedy to grasp some of the deeper meaning in the play.
Last but not least, our practice close reading essay. I was actually surprised by how much I picked out of the poem on my own. However, to get the real meaning of the individual pieces I looked at, I had to discuss things with three different people. Which, obviously, won't be allowed on the test. I'm sure I'll get better with finding meaning as the year goes on, but I'm probably going to need to do some extra work to be where I want to be come May. Especially when it comes to syntax. I understand the DIDL part of DIDLS, but I reallllly need to work on the S. It's not that I don't know what syntax is, it's more that I don't know how to apply it, or how to figure out how an author applied it.
I'm actually excited to work on the shortcomings I've had so far. Which is weird for me. I usually hate admitting I'm not where I want to be academically. So I guess that shows some growth that's come from this class. It's more of a growth in character than in academics, but hey, growth is growth.

Do we really need 8 hours?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/rethinking-sleep.html?pagewanted=2&ref=general&src=me

Summary: This article is titled "Rethinking Sleep" and offers information on the best way to sleep, as conceived now and in the past.

Diction:
Much of the word choice in this article is aimed to alter our way of thinking about sleep. For example, Randall uses the word "tyranny" when describing the eight hour sleep cycle. When most people think of getting eight hours of sleep a night, they don't think of it as having unrestrained power of them, like a dictator would. But by using this word, Randall puts the idea into the readers head that our ideas of a "good night's sleep" is actually controlling our lives, potentially for the worse. When discussing how deep sleep allows us to better perform cognitively, Randall uses low elevation words like "toss" and "jumble,"making the paragraph easier understood by the average person.

Details:
Randall uses most of the details he adds just to support his point that sleeping eight straight hours might not be the best way to sleep. He adds examples from everything from literature and the Canterbury Tales, to sports and athletes. However, using only these examples that showcase the abnormal would make this article difficult to relate to. Randall also uses details that show he knows most people don't have the opportunity to nap on the job, or that mentioning sleepiness usually warrants the scolding "Get more sleep." In order to make his points more convincing, Randall chose to exclude details that emphasize how those who do get eight straight hours of sleep every night feel. Are they well rested? Do they perform better than those who have split sleep cycles? This information would be helpful to decide which way of sleeping truly is better, but it may not have helped Randall prove his point.

Imagery:
Although this piece is just informative and not full of imagery, Randall does use some imagery to help the reader understand what he's saying. To start the piece, he puts the reader in bed, waking up to some piece of technology. Because the vast majority of readers have experienced this, in depth description isn't needed to make the paragraph vivid.

I don't remember this book as well as I thought I did...

2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

In the novel Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë introduces the characters in the present, but she does not stay there for long. The majority of the book is spent telling a story from the past that eventually helps the reader understand Heathcliff. His relationship with the past leaves him bitter and, arguably, insane.

In the beginning of Wuthering Heights, Mr. Lockwood arrives at the home of Heathcliff and what is left of his family. The reader, and Mr. Lockwood himself, is left wondering why Heathcliff is distant and bitter. Mr. Lockwood acts on his curiosity and asks a house maid, Nelly, to tell him Heathcliff’s story. As she tells the story throughout the novel, the reader concludes that all of Heathcliff’s faults seem to come from one event from his past: Catherine chose Edgar.

Prior to Catherine choosing Edgar and Heathcliff leaving Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff seems to be a mostly normal boy with a crush. However, when Heathcliff overhears Catherine tell Nelly that she couldn’t possibly marry him, he runs away and is a completely different person upon his return. From the moment he returns, Heathcliff tries to get Catherine to chose him, even though she’s already married to Edgar. Heathcliff is no longer just a boy with a crush, he’s a man who will do just about anything to get the revenge he wants.

As part of his revenge, Heathcliff marries Isabella Linton and puts himself in line to inherit her family’s property. This marriage, having nothing to do love, is doomed from the start. Heathcliff treats Isabella so poorly, she flees to London, where she raises their son alone. After she dies and their son, Linton, returns to live with his father, it is clear that Heathcliff has no intentions of treating him the way a father should treat his son. To Heathcliff, Linton is just another reminder that he didn’t get Catherine. Because Linton isn’t Heathcliff and Catherine’s son, he means next to nothing to Heathcliff.

The novel comes full circle when Nelly’s story catches up to the present. Mr. Lockwood and the reader both now understand why Heathcliff is bitter, and why the others in the house are reserved. Heathcliff’s relationship to his past is what sets the plot for the entire novel, providing for different characters to get involved in various ways as he seeks his revenge for the love he lost. 

You mean I have to do more than just show up?

          Okay, I knew I had to do more than just show up to do well in this class. The title is more in reference to my realization that I actually have to think to do well in this class. It's not a math class where there's lots of "plug and chug" situations, or history where it's just fact after fact. I actually have to think about what we're doing and how I can better understand it. Which I think is a great idea and might actually make the class meaningful, not just another AP on my college applications.
          Now for the actual assignment. I've known kids in AP Lit for a few years now, and they always said "I analyze everything now." I never fully believed them. I mean, how could someone watch a movie and only see the underlying meaning of the red shirt the boy is wearing or the sudden rain storm? After reading Foster's book, I completely understand. I can remember reading the chapter "Marked For Greatness" and thinking back to sophomore year in American Lit. One of my favorite books from that year was A Prayer for Owen Meany, who was definitely marked for greatness. Throughout the book, Owen has his own ideas on why he's small, but I kept wondering if it was really necessary. Foster mentioned people like Harry Potter and his scar, and how his scar tells us he's important and will do great things. Making Owen Meany a midget did much the same thing, forcing me to pay attention to everything he did right up to the end of the book.
          The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing was an eye-opener as well. I'd heard some of the tips before, like avoiding passive voice and unnecessary adverbs (something I still need to work on), but I found myself guilty of using the pompous style Harvey describes at the beginning of his book. I have a decent vocabulary and I always wanted to use my most impressive (at least as I saw them) words in my formal writing. After reading Harvey's book, I realized that those who read my college essays, or even my high school essay, don't want to know how many big words I know how to use. Writing an essay so that my real voice comes through is much more important than showing off my vocabulary.
          The forum posts and diagnostic/poetry tests we had to take were frustrating, but helpful. Poetry has never been my strong suit in English classes, so I didn't do well on the poetry test and thinking of something to post about "The Mexicans Begin Jogging" and "The Terrorist He Watches" took what seemed like hours. But after doing them, I found that posting replies and rethinking about the poems was much easier. I know I'm going to have to read a lot more poetry to consider myself good at analyzing it, but doing the assignments and reading other students' work definitely helped me improve over the summer.

You do talk pretty, Sedaris.

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris does so much of what Harvey tells us makes good writing, one might think they worked together. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing outlines how to use concision, clarity, and paragraphs, among other devices, to make an essay readable. Sedaris uses these tools to make the point of his essay clear and easy to understand.

Harvey says concision adds grace to prose, and makes it easier to understand (1). Sedaris uses concision throughout his essay, making it readable by virtually everyone. Sedaris gives no reason for guessing where he is or why he is there, he comes right out and says “I’ve moved to Paris with hopes of learning the language” (1). Later on, after describing the intense first day of class, Sedaris makes it clear that the worst was not over by saying the students “foolishly believ[ed]” it would get better (3). Using these everyday, simple words instead of big, intelligent words makes the essay flow better and leaves no questions about the meaning.

Sedaris’ use of paragraphs also makes the essay more readable and easy to understand. Harvey says that “paragraphs are there for your reader’s benefit,” and Sedaris’ paragraphs were beneficial in the flow of the essay (69). He used good opening sentences to introduce the reader to a new topic, from the different people introducing themselves to his work habits. Sedaris uses a logical order for his paragraphs, also adding to the understanding.

Of endings, Harvey says “one of the best ways to end an essay is by closing the circle” (83). Sedaris uses this technique to close his essay. At the beginning, he states he’s in Paris to learn French, and to emphasize the little he knew, he uses fractured sentences with incorrect pronouns and missing words. To show the progress he has made by the end of the essay, Sedaris recounts what the teacher was saying when he realized he understood everything. However, to close the circle and show he still had a long way to go, Sedaris uses fractured sentences to close the essay, saying “I know the thing that you speak exact now” (5).

Whether or not Sedaris has ever read The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, he uses the guidelines given perfectly. He uses concision, paragraphs, and a good ending to make “Me Talk Pretty Some Day” flow, and in turn make it easier to read and understand.

Poetry's not my strong suit...

1. Rythm

I'm still stuck in the 'when the line ends, pause' way of reading poetry that I was taught in like second grade. It doesn't work much anymore. Understanding what the author is trying to say is a lot harder when I'm cutting his ideas short and starting them in the middle.

2. Kinds of Poetry

Not gonna lie, I don't know what characterizes certain kinds of poems. I know some basics, but I definitely need to be more concrete on how to determine what type of poetry a poem is.

3. Allusions

The question about classical allusions in the poem by Holmes really threw me. I don't know anything about enchanting sea nymphs or Greek sea gods, so picking up on allusions to them is pretty difficult. I need to learn more about the classical allusions so I can see when they show up in poems.

4.Terms

I really had no idea what "gloaming" meant at the beginning of  "The First Snowfall." Which, consequently, distracted me from what the poet was saying. If I learn more terms frequently used by poets, I'll be less distracted by the words I don't understand and be able to read the poetry more fluidly.

5. Tone

In Sonnet 55, I definitely thought the speaker was angry. My bad. Understanding the tone of a poem will be quite helpful in determining the message of the poem.

And how does that make me feel?

First off, I really dislike tests, but I'm a fairly decent test taker. Even with knowing that, I was actually surprised by how well I did on the diagnostic test. Admittedly, there's still quite a bit of room for improvement. But considering it's the middle of summer and I haven't been analyzing too much literature lately, I'm impressed. I'm also worried though. I definitely didn't know as many questions as I got right. I'm glad I guessed right on most of them this time, but I definitely have some studying to do. I don't always see the symbolism or imagery the author intends; sometimes, it's just a story or just a poem to me. My attention span also needs some work. By the end of the test, I just wanted to be done and ended up doing sub-par work.